Absolutely Not The Daily Troll-o-Graph

Pressure on PM to loosen purse strings threatens to squeeze public finances 26 May 2025  Daily Telegraph  Link Sir Keir Starmer risks blowing a £5bn black hole in the public finances after U-turning on benefit cuts in the face of a backbench rebellion. The Prime Minister will cost the Treasury as much as £1.5 billion by bringing back winter fuel payments for most pensioners, while up to £3.5 billion more will be lost if he axes the two-child benefit cap. A planned reduction in net migration could cost the Treasury £7 billion more, according to Britain’s fiscal watchdog. It comes as Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, braces for another bleak set of forecasts amid speculation that she will be forced to raise taxes in her autumn Budget. Left-wing Labour MPs are clamouring for the Government to loosen the purse strings, with whips seeking to head off a potentially major rebellion. Meanwhile Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, will this week attempt to outflank Labour on welfare by cal...

 Labour’s vote share fell 32.2 per cent in worrying sign before May elections GB News Published: 11/04/2025 - Link Reform UK delivered a crushing electoral blow to Labour last night with a thumping by-election win, despite a Cabinet Minister campaigning on behalf of Labour. The disruptor party scooped almost 50 per cent of the vote in the ward of Longdendale (Tameside) just east of Manchester which falls within Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds’ Stalybridge and Hyde constituency. The Cabinet Minister, who recently came under fire for his claims about his career as a solicitor, leant his weight to Labour’s campaign yesterday, but it was not enough to hold off the Reform surge. Reform’s Allan Hopwood scooped 46.6 per cent of the vote, beating Labour’s Francesca Coates into second (25 per cent) and Kieron Wild of the Conservatives (12.4 per cent). It means Hopwood has become Reform’s first councillor in Greater Manchester, a traditionally safe Labour area that elected 25 Labour mem...

Well, I have to say I didn't think he would do it, but not only has he made the request but the Queen didn't delay in delivering it. But what does this mean in reality? Parliament returns on 3rd September but it could be prorogued from as early as the 9th September and won't return until the Queen's speech on 14th October. That leaves Parliament exactly 4 days and Friday's are a non debate day, so effectively reducing the parliamentary time to three days. On return on October 14th, Parliament would have 13 sitting days including two Fridays which limits real debate days to just 11. However, convention dictates as follows:- When the ceremony is complete, MPs return to the Commons Chamber and begin debating the contents of the speech. The debate usually takes place over six days, with each day being assigned to a policy area, such as ‘the economy’ or ‘home affairs’. This means that the time from the 14th to 22nd October will be taken up with the debate ...